DanJocelyn’s Special Advocate (another kiwi) going back to the stables after scoring 56 to lie in 45th place
Lucinda FREDERICKS (my sincere apologies for writing Murray yesterday, complete brain fart and totally meaningless!) on Prada
Pippa Funnell and Pure Addiction who took three attempts to leave the arena after being scared by all the applause, bless him!
Despite Simone saying Free Easy NRW was nervous before he entered the arena, and that the English grass makes him nervous compared to the German sand, she still managed to hold onto her lead at the conclusion of the dressage, despite two mistakes – a break in the extended trot and an early canter change. Simone said that her fall at WEG last year and Bramham this year mean that Burghley is crucial for her London qualifications. She’s been out walking the cross country with German Chef D’Equipe, Yorkshireman Chris Bartle and fellow German competitor Anna Warnecke who rides Twinkle Bee, and currently sits in 25th place overnight. Simone told us she thinks the course looks beautiful, but “really tough and difficult, the most difficult I’ve ever ridden, not too technical, a lot of forward distances, but a lot of big, big fences.”
Kyle Carter did a great job, and so did Madison Park; it looked like Parker just got a bit overwhelmed by it all in the canter changes, but they both held it together well and did Canada proud.
Nick Gauntlett rode Chilli Morning into 18th place on a score of 47.5. An impressive stallion, he can boast to having knocked up the number 3 on the leaderboard this year, Kings Temptress, albeit by Embryo Transfer!
Thrilled!
and so to Sinead…! I was so proud of her, she rode like a princess and like a champion! To know Sinead is to can’t but help but adore her – funny, kind, generous, of course talented and hard-working. I’ve been so impressed by her work ethic and attitude at all the major competitions I’ve seen her at this year, and at the smaller ones too, and I’ve enjoyed her blogs immensely, and Meg’s too. Once I’d pulled myself together, Pippa and I went over to talk to her (with my serious face on) about her test.
“He’s been more rideable in the ring every time; it’s so nice when they keep going in the right direction. Every time he comes out he’s just a little better and a little better. I didn’t do much work with him beforehand, it’s a fine line, he likes to perform -he’s a real perfomer but if he gets too tired then he can angry. He’s a light horse, and he needs to feel good about himself, but at the same token if you don’t have a little edge off he’ll do very much the french “ta-da!” (much gesticulating!) right at the wrong time! The trot work with him is always quite tough, you almost have to hold yourself above him and not really sit on him so that he feels some freedom, so the trotwork is more difficult. The canter is really fun because he’s got a really big step and he’s so light in the mouth, which has been one of the problems in the dressage because he won’t ever really take the bit, but you can really go for the medium canters and things like that because he comes back to you in a second. It was fun to ride.”
So much fun to watch too, huge pat on the back to Sinead and Meg, hope they get some sleep tonight. A little bird told me there was a certain amount of dancing going on in the stables area until the wee hours, perhaps that was the reason everyone was so quiet this morning! More pictures coming and news coming very shortly. Go eventing!
